The Nordic Table: Denmark's Culture & Cuisine
From your host, Alison Negrin
I am so excited to show you the Denmark I’ve grown to love. Long before I became a professional chef I spent many formative years living in the Danish countryside — in the kitchens of rural Denmark in the 1970s, where I learned a way of cooking rooted in seasonality and simplicity. One could say the New Nordic movement has its foundations in exactly this. It rejected centuries of French cooking techniques and declared that food could be extraordinary from what the Nordic landscape produces — local, seasonal, foraged in the wild or grown on a rooftop.
Denmark in late August and early September is something special — golden days that seem to last forever, seasonal produce at its peak, the fragrant elderflower and rock roses that line the streets of every village. On this journey we explore that culture in its full range, each stop chosen to reveal a different facet of the country that made New Nordic possible — and together they form a more complete portrait of Denmark.
We begin in Copenhagen, where we learn to prepare smørrebrød, dine at a rooftop urban farm, and visit the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, among other things. Next we cross to Ærø for a foraging walk along the coastline and lunch at a harbour smokehouse. In Odense, we visit the extraordinary Hans Christian Andersen Museum designed by Kengo Kuma, before continuing to Aarhus for Food Festival, the Nordic region's largest celebration of Nordic cuisine, and a cooking class in a living agricultural museum. The journey ends with lunch at an 800-year-old castle above the Lammefjord — land reclaimed from the sea, and now the source of Denmark's finest vegetables.
Alison learned to cook in the farmhouse kitchens of rural Alison learned to cook in the farmhouse kitchens of rural Denmark before anyone had heard of New Nordic. She went on to train at Chez Panisse, where Alice Waters had built a California cuisine on the same foundations — seasonal, local, rooted in place — and spent decades as an executive chef in the Bay Area. She speaks Danish, knows which ferry to take, and has strong opinions about herring and smoked fish. Come see her Denmark.
DATES
August 28 - September 7, 2027
Price;
Tour is being finalized. Please register for updates and more information by clicking below.
Sample Itinerary
Day 0: Copenhagen (optional early arrival)
If you're arriving early in Copenhagen and looking for a way to relax with a free afternoon, the brand new Water Culture House (opening this year) is not to be missed — a striking series of brick pyramids at the water's edge, housing indoor pools beneath dramatic skylit cones, outdoor thermal baths in the valleys between them, and direct harbour swimming right on the quayside.
There is no shortage of museums in Copenhagen, too. There are royal palaces, the Royal Copenhagen flagship store and lots of other shopping delights.
This is a relaxed but active journey designed to be enjoyed at your own pace — there's always the option to sit something out and soak up the surroundings instead. Please note that some of our destinations are historic sites where full accessibility cannot be provided
No group activities. Hotel and meals not included on 8/27/27. Terms and conditions can be found here. Please don’t travel without travel insurance.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 1: Arrival Day - Copenhagen
The group assembles in Copenhagen. Enjoy free time after your arrival. Explore the Tivoli Gardens or Royal Copenhagen porcelain’s flagship store or the Design Museum In case you missed it the previous day, explore the harbor baths.
The evening brings everyone together for a welcome dinner at Esse where guests can expect an innovative tasting menu rooted in zero-waste philosophy, local ingredients, and creative reuse. And yes, the world-famous potato bread from Amass is still on the menu.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 2: Elsinore → Louisiana → Karen Blixen’s House
A full day dedicated to culture and the coastline. The morning takes us north of the city to Kronborg Castle, the Renaissance fortress immortalised as Hamlet’s Elsinore, perched dramatically at the mouth of the Øresund strait. Afterwards, lunch in Helsingør — an 800-year-old market town of cobblestone streets, harbour views and boutique shops that rewards a slow wander. The afternoon continues south to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, where world-class contemporary art meets a stunning clifftop setting above the sea. Before heading back to Copenhagen, we stop at Rungstedlund — the home of Karen Blixen, where she wrote both Out of Africa and Babette's Feast. The house sits above the Øresund, surrounded by a bird sanctuary she established herself, and has been preserved exactly as she left it when she died in 1962. A brief but quietly moving stop. The evening ends with dinner reservations bistro at Rungsted Harbour — relaxed, French-inflected, right on the water.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 3: Copenhagen
A day for hands-on Danish experiences. A leisurely start this morning before heading to a private smørrebrød cooking class - the art of the Danish open-faced sandwich. Working with seasonal toppings, dressings and garnishes, we assemble and decorate three varieties, each one as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. The class ends with lunch — with a beer and a glass of snaps on the side.
The afternoon takes to two wheels with a city bike tour, a breezy way to cover Copenhagen’s neighbourhoods, waterfronts and architecture. In the evening, the group gathers for dinner at a rooftop urban farm in the middle of the city, where a guided tour of the garden precedes a long-table community dinner made entirely from fresh organic produce.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 4 Copenhagen →Svendborg → Ærø
Departure day from the capital. We travel south to Svendborg — a handsome old maritime town of winding streets, half-timbered houses and a harbour that has been sending ships out into the world since the 13th century. Lunch here before we board the ferry south to Aero.
Ærø. is one of Denmark’s best-kept secrets — a small, slow island of rolling hills, cobblestone villages and colourful painted doors, where time moves differently and the sea is never far away. On arrival we check into our hotel and spend the first evening at a tiny harbour restaurant where a seasonal tasting menu draws on the best of the island’s produce.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 5 Ærø
The morning begins with a guided foraging walk along the beaches and meadows of Ærø’s dramatic coastline, led by a certified ranger who has spent years teaching the island’s wild food traditions. The afternoon is free to explore the island at your own pace. The evening brings the group together for a screening of Babette’s Feast — the beloved Danish film about food, sacrifice and grace, and a fitting companion to everything this journey is about. Dinner afterwards at a wine bar in the old town, where European sharing plates and a well-chosen wine list make for a relaxed end to the day.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 6 Ærø
The group travels by public bus across the island to Marstal — once the second-largest shipping hub in Denmark, surpassed only by Copenhagen. The harbour is still a working one, with dockyards and vessels that mean business, while the backstreets reveal a quieter charm: cobbled alleys flanked by roses and hollyhocks, small craft shops, and a church whose 48 bells ring out several times a day. Lunch at a harbour smokehouse, where freshly smoked fish and shellfish are served in the open air with rye bread and the smell of the smoke still in the air. The afternoon is free to explore the town before returning to Ærøskøbing for dinner.
Overnight: To be confirmed
Day 7 Ærø → Odense → Aarhus
The group takes the ferry from Ærøskøbing to Svendborg where luggage is transferred to a coach for onward delivery to Aarhus. The group then boards the first class train into Odense, Denmark’s third city and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen.
The centrepiece of the stop is the Hans Christian Andersen House, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma — an immersive, beautifully unsettling museum that places visitors inside the fairy tales, set within a landscaped garden with a maze at its heart. Afterwards, free time for lunch and a wander. Consider Brandts — Funen’s largest art museum, in a converted textile factory — a short walk away for those who want more.
The first class train continues north to Aarhus in the mid-afternoon. The hotel is a five-minute walk from the station, and the Latin Quarter’s restaurants and cafés are right on the doorstep for a relaxed first evening in Denmark’s second city..
Overnight: Villa Provence Hotel
Day 8 Aarhus
The morning begins at Den Gamle By — Denmark’s finest open-air museum, where 75 historic buildings from across the country have been reassembled into a living town spanning four centuries. Costumed staff go about their trades in period kitchens, workshops and shops, and the streets shift from the 1600s to the 1970s as you walk through them. Allow two to three hours and don’t miss the bakery.
In the afternoon a local food guide leads the group through the Food Festival at Tangkrogen — one of the Nordic region’s great culinary gatherings, bringing together producers, chefs and food lovers from across Scandinavia across seven areas of tastings, show kitchens and workshops. The early evening is free to graze and explore at your own pace. Dinner to be confirmed.
Overnight: Villa Provence Hotel
